Power Rangers Samurai

E3 2011 Hands On Preview Power Rangers Samurai

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When the number one kid's show in the United States goes video game, it becomes pretty exciting news for the publisher. That's precisely the case with Power Ranger Samurai, going co-op on the Wii later this year. I took a minute to familiarize myself with the show, toys, and Wii game with NamcoBandai at E3 this year to bring back a preview of sorts.

Power Ranger Samurai is a beat 'em up exclusive on the Wii, complete with a few swoops of the Wii controller to spell out the Samurai symbols in the air to activate your Ranger Powers. The side-scrolling element is reminiscent of the Ninja Turtles of old. You use the Wii-remote like a regular controller, move with the nunchuck, A button for a regular attack, and B button for a heavy attack - not much wii swinging action in the gameplay.

I played as the Red Ranger, and the demo wasn't co-op. You run through the levels from left to right hacking away at the Samurai enemies that come at you. The cut scenes are taken from the show, and each cut scene I saw gave you the opportunity to do the Samurai power activation swooshes. Kids tend to really get into this gameplay, especially fans of the show.

Simplistic and stylized after the show, kid's are bound to get a kick out of this one. With multiple color-coded Rangers to choose from, there will be some pretty great co-op opportunities. With the size of the figures on the screen, it seems that two player co-op is most expected, but it could be up to four players. We'll see more details when we get closer to release, but I can promise this will be a great hit for your multiple-child households everywhere.